THE ECHO

By Aliyah Surakat // Reporter

This school year, Avon High School has taken a noticeable step toward strengthening safety by requiring all students to wear lanyards with their IDs. The policy isn’t entirely new, as it has long been written into the student handbook, but for the first time in years, it is being actively enforced.

The idea behind the rule is simple: make it easier for staff to know who belongs in the building. With thousands of students moving through the halls each day, administrators say the lanyards help them quickly spot potential concerns and keep the school secure.

Assistant Principal James Graham said the student body has adapted well so far.

 “Almost 90% of our student body has been wearing the lanyards at all times,” he said. “The overwhelming majority are following the procedures, and those who don’t often just forget it for a day.”

To reinforce its importance, the policy has also been officially added to the dress code. Graham explained that the update was meant to place safety measures on the same level as other student expectations, making it clear that the rule is here to stay.

Assistant Principal Lucas Klipsch, who joined the school this year, echoed that compliance has been encouraging, but not without challenges.

“The biggest issue with people not wearing them is just simple forgetfulness,” Klipsch said. “I think there are probably students who don’t like them and wear them anyway, and some who try not to, but the majority just forget.”

To better understand how the policy is working, administrators have been tracking violations. Graham noted that while more than 3,000 students had no lanyard violations in a recent week, a small number had repeated issues, with some reaching as many as nine or ten.

Still, both Graham and Klipsch recognized that comfort and quality matter to students. Graham said the school is open to improvements.

“If the lanyard is itchy, if the lanyard is a poor quality and we find that we’re having to replace them all, then I think it is worth the investment to get a higher quality lanyard,” he said.

At the heart of the initiative, administrators believe the policy prepares students for the expectations they will face beyond high school. Klipsch compared it to wearing a name badge at a job, in the military, or even on some college campuses.

“We’re preparing you for the next step of life by asking you to wear an identification card,” he said.

For now, administrators say they are encouraged by the culture of cooperation at Avon.

“You guys do a great job when we ask you to do something and we’re consistent with it,” Klipsch said. “Students here want to be here, and you hold yourselves to a higher standard than a lot of schools.”

Photos by Aliyah Surakat